Filip Novotny There was an interesting turn in the case of the iBooks ebook cartel. Apple has reconsidered its approach to the antitrust watchdog whose federal court assigned last October. At first, Apple refused to cooperate, but in recent weeks it has turned one hundred and eighty degrees. The supervisor himself informed about this in an official report.
Expert supervision over Apple is vigilant because cause artificially increasing the prices of electronic books. The US Department of Justice accused the Californian company of signing unfair contracts with major publishers such as HarperCollins, Penguin or Macmillan. A federal court ruled in favor of the department and ordered Apple to fundamentally revise existing agreements. Court-appointed anti-monopoly supervisor Michael Bromwich was to oversee compliance with his commitment.
However, they appeared shortly after the start of his work problems. Apple complained about Bromwich because of his high salary (he charges $1 an hour + 100% administrative fee) and his demands for meetings with Tim Cook, Phil Schiller or Chairman of the Board Al Gore. On the other hand, the supervisor condemned Apple's reluctance to deliver important materials or arrange meetings directly at the company's headquarters in Cupertino. She then responded with a request for Bromwich appeal.
Half a year after the court decision, everything looks different. According to the watchdog himself, Apple is slowly trying to remedy the situation and has made a promising start in its "anti-cartel" program. "But there's still a lot of work to be done," Bromwich points to Apple's continued reluctance to release certain documents.
While in January of this year the supervisor complained that the Californian company treated him as an "adversary and an intruder", the following month he allegedly started a complete reset of relations. Apple began actively seeking to correct its past business practices and also agreed to monthly meetings with Bromwich's team.
"We're starting to get more information, we're seeing a greater commitment to resolving lingering disagreements, and we're also starting to see the company fulfill its commitments to cooperation and collaboration that have long remained on paper," Bromwich writes in his first official report. According to him, the way to reset relations is finally open and if the cooperation continues like this, he and his team can finally fulfill their mission resulting from the federal court ruling.
You can find complete coverage of the entire case <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.
